Naruto followed the Third all the way to the Hokage Building.
The afterglow of the setting sun spilled into the room, dyeing it a dusky gold.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind the desk.
Ever since learning that Naruto had awakened some kind of sensory ability, he had stopped spying on the boy through the Telescope Jutsu.
When news of Orochimaru's intrusion arrived and he finally used the Telescope Jutsu again,
all he saw was a ruined battlefield—nothing of real value.
Right now, the specifics of what happened inside the Forest of Death were a blind spot to him.
So he summoned Naruto to ask for details.
"There are only the two of us here now."
The Third exhaled a smoke ring, his eyes settling on Naruto:
"Naruto, tell me—what exactly happened in that forest?"
"Anko reported you met that man—Orochimaru—and drove him off?"
The Third Hokage set down his pipe; age had left his face hard to read.
"Yes, Grandpa Hokage."
Naruto stood before the desk, his expression calm:
"He was strong—practically monstrous."
"And his target was clearly Sasuke."
"Still, his physical condition didn't seem great;
with a bit of luck, I used exploding tags to keep him busy, and after a while, he withdrew on his own."
Naruto left out the crucial details, chalking everything up to luck and the enemy's weakness.
"Is that so…"
The Third nodded slowly, the tension easing slightly.
It matched Anko's report.
Both accounts stressed Orochimaru's poor condition.
So Orochimaru's body really was failing, and that's why he set his sights on Sasuke?
Naruto's appearance had simply disrupted the plan, preventing him from branding Sasuke in time?
"Since Orochimaru retreated, he apparently isn't ready to break with Konoha outright."
"As long as everyone's safe."
At this point, the Third's expression was still composed.
He sighed, about to offer a few words of comfort and send the boy off to rest.
"But there's something I think I need to confess."
Naruto stepped forward, cutting the Third's thoughts short.
He unzipped the collar of his jacket, revealing three black cursed seals on his neck.
The Third's pupils shrank; his pipe nearly slipped from his fingers.
"Wh-what is this?!"
He shot to his feet in shock.
What rattled him wasn't just Orochimaru's sinister Cursed Seal of Heaven,
but the seal array circling it—clearly suppressing the curse.
"A variant of the Adamantine Sealing Chains?"
"Naruto… you suppressed Orochimaru's seal all by yourself?!"
The Third's voice trembled with disbelief.
The growth was simply too fast!
Linear improvement would have left the Third merely proud,
convinced the boy had inherited Minato's talent and would be Konoha's future pillar.
But this exponential leap—
six months ago, the "dead last" still practicing Tree Climbing, now single-handedly
restraining power left by one of the Legendary Sannin?
It wasn't normal.
The Third Hokage sank back into his chair, his expression shifting from shock to gravity.
Was the boy's talent truly unprecedented,
or… was he hiding something?
A sense of slipping control crept in.
"Grandpa Third, is this thing dangerous?"
Naruto, watching the old man's shifting face, let a hint of nervousness show.
The Third drew a deep breath, forcing down his doubts.
He settled back into the chair, keeping his tone gentle to mask his unease:
"…Don't worry, Naruto."
"It is dangerous, but since you've already controlled it, you have the gift to master it."
"Go and rest. The Village will handle Orochimaru."
"All right."
Naruto zipped up his collar, yet didn't leave at once.
He adjusted his glasses and casually added:
"By the way, Grandpa Third—about that girl from Kusagakure, Karin."
"She's a surviving member of the Uzumaki Clan with outstanding medical talent;
could we let her become a Konoha Ninja, or at least settle here?"
A smile tugged at Naruto's mouth;
to him, it seemed only natural.
When Uzushiogakure fell, Konoha had been stretched across too many fronts to help—understandable.
But now, with stability restored, taking in a talented orphan of an allied bloodline
was both reasonable and right,
and fit perfectly with the Will of Fire the Village always preached.
Yet the Third didn't answer immediately.
He relit his pipe, brows knitted, and lapsed into a long silence.
At last he spoke, his voice tinged with apology:
"Naruto… this matter may be difficult."
Naruto's smile froze a fraction:
"Difficult?"
"Though she's of the Uzumaki bloodline, she's currently a Ninja of Kusagakure."
The Third tapped out his pipe, his tone heavy:
"You know the Grass Village is small, but still one of our allies."
"As the possessor of a unique constitution, she's a strategic asset to them."
"Detaining her would create serious diplomatic trouble."
"It wouldn't serve Konoha's interests."
Behind his lenses, Naruto's gaze cooled.
In that instant, he understood the old man a little better.
This elder who spoke of "Will of Fire" and "bonds of comrades" operated like… this?
For the sake of political stability and diplomatic face, he could ignore the blood of a former ally and leave them to be bullied?
This… was the Will of Fire?
Fury blazed inside, yet Naruto showed nothing.
Keeping his gentle, almost naive smile, he asked softly:
"So there's really no way?"
The Third shook his head slowly, drew on his pipe, and continued:
"I can use my authority as exam host to keep her in the Village until the Chunin Exams end."
"That… is the limit."
He looked at Naruto and sighed inwardly:
This is the world of Ninja, Naruto.
You have strength, but you're still young; you don't yet understand political compromise.
"I see… it really is difficult."
Naruto nodded, seeming to accept.
Just as the Third thought the conversation over, Naruto added in an easy tone:
"Then… if—purely hypothetically—"
"Kusagakure suddenly vanished from the map and she became a homeless refugee…"
"Would Konoha… be able to take her in?"
"!!!"